Young At Heart
by TXJ
Summary: “Severus, please calm yourself." Came the headmaster's firm reply. Severus had half the mind to answer 'No, I will not calm myself, following your orders put me in this predicament.' Instead he took a deep breath. His sneer firmly in place


Dis: I own nothing, I make nothing on this. Characters and settings are property of JK Rowling (save Xanatos, Thelos and Talinna, and the naming of Phenix).

* * *

"Severus, please calm yourself." Came the headmaster's firm reply.

Severus had half the mind to answer 'No, I will not calm myself, following your orders put me in this predicament.' Instead he took a deep breath. His sneer firmly in place,

"My apologies, headmaster. I've only spent nearly the last twenty years of my life as a spy only to be found out, nearly killed, severely burned and other extremes, to wake up and find out that the Dark Lord has been destroyed and I am once again a child - AGAIN!"

His voice rose with drama and frustration towards the end, it didn't help that his baritone voice was almost an alto due to revisiting his age of hormonal changes. Pacing back and forth in robes that hung too loose and long only served to aggravate him more.

"I know you are not happy about this. Yet in a way this will be a blessing." came Minerva's reply. She sat calmly behind a desk, a pile of text to one side and a few scrolls on the other.

"A blessing?" Obviously the threat in his eyes had no effect with his body being of such a young age.

"Yes Severus, a blessing. Are you not aware that most of the wizarding world wishes you dead. That even the solid evidence that cleared your name has not changed the view of many of those who see you as Albus' murderer and there are those still free that see you as a traitor to Tom. If you are not dead with in a week living as Severus Snape, I will be very surprised."

"Would you believe me if I said I would rather die than relive my adoulecent years?"

"Yes, I do. I've picked up that your adolescents was not a pleasant one with in these walls, let alone outside of them. But remember Severus, you are not reliving those exact years. Things are different now, you can be different now. You will have to be, if you want to live."

She locked eyes with him the look in her eyes pleading with him to believe her.

Severus gave a heavy sigh.

"Ok, so say I go along with this - Just until we can get me back to my rightful age in appearance. How do we explain my existence?"

Minerva thought quickly not wanting to lose his slight agreement.

"We have one new fifth year coming to Hogwarts this year, why not two. We will have to find a name for you and we have enough trust worthy Order contacts that we can easily make up a background for you at the Ministry. Now we just need to come up with what you want. A name, birth date, and a consistent background."

"That sounds easy." Severus' voice was dripping with sarcasm

"Well frankly, I am surprised that you are not jumping all over me about the thought of going back to school."

"Believe it or not, I was not able to take every course that Hogwarts had to offer. Besides, who would hire a fifteen year old?"

"True. Your birth date?"

"October third. Don't you think we should start with a name?"

"Do you have one picked out already?"

"I was thinking Harry Potter."

Minerva looked up and saw the nasty grin on his face in response to the patented death glare she was giving him.

"Now really Severus, I expected you to take this a little bit more seriously. And you defiantly couldn't be serious about that; I thought you were done torturing the boy."

Staring at the empty bird perch that stood in the background cornered between two book shelves.

"I just couldn't resist the expression you would give me. No, seriously now, Phenix."

"Phoenix what?"

"Phenix D. Evans" he said giving her his preferred spelling.

"And what pray tell does the D. stand for?"

"Dakota"

"You do realize that Phoenix is in Arizona, right?"

"Dakota just happens to be a name that I've always held dear, alright?" he snapped, having a felling that Minerva wouldn't be the only source of that comment. He pointedly ignored the questioning look she gave his retort.

She leaned back in the chair giving him a studding look.

"Well Phenix, where are you from."

"Dragonridge. It's in the states as you know. You can arrange that, can't you?"

Minerva shook her head yes, then paused.

"There may be a problem there. Our new student attended Dragonridge for two years and the other two U.S. schools for a year each."

"Good heavens, do they no long just break the wand of an underage wizards in the states? Who is this child?"

Minerva swallowed and regarded the (now) young man in front of her.

"The student is Talinna Jinn an-" Severus cut her off

"Anna Jinn's daughter is still alive?"

"Yes. That is also why so many schools, her grandfather keeps moving her to keep her alive. Thelos has been too close to discovering her the last two times."

"So he's bringing her back here, back where it all started to protect her? Has the man gone off his rocker?!" Severus was clearly upset.

"Severus, I didn't realize this would concern you so." Minerva stated puzzled and worried by the man's actions as he struck the chair in front of him.

"How long has it been decided that she would attend school here?"

"Only a week, Xanatos called me a couple days after Voldermort's fall, he knew not of your death yet and seemed rather saddened by it." Minerva hopped that knowing that some people did miss him would some how soften his mood.

"My death, huh. He lets me believe Anna's daughter dead for eight years and then feels sorry over my death?"

"Everybody believed her dead Severus, why would you be any different." Minerva leaned forward, slightly tired of his self-centeredness. The man had been a spy him of all people should understand the need for deception.

"Maybe because I'm the one who pulled her almost lifeless body out of that car after Thelos sent it out of control. Maybe because I was, no, am her godfather. Not deemed by her father mind you, but by Anna, after she knew the truth. Other than Albus she was the only one never to doubt me." Severus put his head on his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

Minerva sat quietly and pressed her lips together. Severus looked up and could see the questions in Minerva's eyes.

"I found out what Thelos was going to do to them all too late. He hoped to kill all three, not just the girls. I knew then I wanted nothing more to do with him. A man who could kill his own child, let alone his wife, well there wasn't any man left in Thelos. I didn't want to become that way. I got there too late, they had already left. I followed and was still too late to stop the 'accident'. Anna was clearly dead, a scene that still haunts me. Talinna was pinned in the car, several severe scratches from the broken glass, the wounds were deep and I was certain if left she would bleed to death. I removed the pole and belt that held her in place. I rushed her back to Xanatos. For a moment he looked like he was going to kill me. Xanatos flooed for help. He understood why I had to leave, he knew I would be killed if anyone found out that I interfered. I came back the next day to check on how she was doing. I was informed that a double funeral would be held the following day."

A slight anger was blazing in Severus' eyes that betrayed the years that actually lurked inside the youthful looking body.

"Xanatos knew what he was doing. This will be the first time she has been able to go by her given name since she started school. Severus I know you are smart enough to understand that he couldn't tell you the truth for fear that Thelos would come after you."

Severus sighed.  
"You are right about that, it evidently didn't work too well all the same. At least this way I'll finally be able to do my job and protect her. Which reminds me, you better get use to addressing me as Phenix or Mr. Evans." he smirked.

"Yes, and Mr. Evans, you better be ready to lose house points for speaking to me in such a tone in the future."

Phenix' jaw went slack; she'd beaten him at his own game.

"However when in private council I will treat you as an adult and equal, so long as you act like one."

She finished as he exited her door.

* * *

A few weeks lurking in a set of hidden chambers inside the castle walls found him ill tempered and restless. When the note from Minerva flooed through he was more than happy to take the irking journey it offered.

_Phenix,_

_If you would join me in my office this evening I would like to discuss the picking up of Ms. Jinn. It will mean a trip to the states for us (yes, us I wish you to come a long). I shall explain more over tea tonight. Seven sharp._

_Minerva McGonagall_

He tossed the letter into the flames and sat down... a whole day to wait away.

At one minute till seven he stood with a hand full of floo by the fire place. He was in her office at seven exactly. The chiming clock confirmed such. He looked around, no Minerva to be found.

"Typical Gryffindor." he mumbled out loud.

"Now, now. Phenix is it?" came a sly voice off of the wall.

"You should know by now that we Headmasters have many demands, she will be with you shortly"

"And I see that you still have your blasted twinkle Albus." snorted the young man in a very Snape like manner.

"Awe, Sev-Phenix good to see you. I did manage to get the details of your 'existence' arranged. I thought it would be wise to let you know of the few who know of your new identity that can link you to the past one. Pompffy of course, George Green headmaster of Dragonridege, Arthur Wealsey." he started to make a noise but was cut off by McGonagall

"Arthur had to know, he is working with the unspeakables now and has many more competent sources in the ministry. He is also the last to know the link between the old and new you. Kingsly knows of a fabricated past, but not who it belongs to."

"Well at least you didn't have to inform Potter of my still meager existence." he attempted to sneer but choked on his cracking voice.

"No, but that does remind me. Here is your choice of classes, you are strictly forbidden to take Potions, I don't need to deal with a student telling the new professor how to teach class, even if he is a potions master. I feel that Professor Granger would not welcome it any more than you did when you first started teaching."

Severus sat dumbfounded for a moment

"Granger teaching potions? I suppose I'm forbidden Defense also?" he quipped, trying to move on from the thought of even sitting for an hour with the know-it-all in charge of a class.

"No, actually I'm allowing you to take under one condition. You help lead a dueling club. It will be part of your portfolio from your old school and not look a bit out of place for you to be in charge of the newly restarted club here. Also Pompffy has said that if you find your course work to unchallenging you can help her brew up potions for the hospital wing."

Severus looked slightly cornered and indigent.

"I suppose I have no real options, I will host your club. As for the offer, I will let her know about three weeks into the year."

Minerva smiled.

"Well then, here is a sketch of your background. You may fill in the blanks."

Severus took the papers and read over the as carful as they were a new potion. After several moments of silence he leaned back in his seat.

"I see that I am muggle born, and an orphan. How do I spend breaks and such then? Please tell me that I don't have a permission slip to Hogesmade."

"You're breaks will be spent loosely in my custody. You will go to Hogesmade as you will act like a normal teenager. This time do try to enjoy yourself. You may actually have the chance at starting adulthood over again, and this time you have all the knowledge of what mistakes not to make, and the choice that would be best to make."

"I'm sorry Minerva but I can't just break twenty years of habits over night. Even if I don't look like I've lived twenty years let alone nearly twice that." His voice was sincere and almost depressed. Deep down he wished he could let go of the past and live like a kid again; innocent and unsoiled. He even toyed with the idea of possibly having friends this time around. Friends, running around, a strange thought suddenly occurred to him.

"So about this trip to the states, when do we leave?"

Minerva didn't question the sudden change in topice but was happy to come back to the point of the meeting.

"Yes, we leave in three days. We'll travel by portkey there; pick up Talinna and use muggle transport most of the way back. The point is to keep from being tracked. Xanatos will follow a couple of days later by magic and be here when we arrive. He is teaching the Defense spot this year. Hopefully the curse is broken now, and he will stay on for a longer tenure."

Severus nodded.

"Well, I've got some studying to do then. Need to be in character by the time we arrive." He winked and stood to leave.

"Good night Mr. Evans" the headmaster called from behind her desk wearing a broad grin.

Two days later another letter came by floo.

_Phenix,_

_Sorry to disappoint and put this on your shoulders but I have urgent business that I can not leave unattended. I really need you to go and safely bring Talinna back. No magic is to be used while you are outside of the country. United States monitoring is much looser and the wrong people could be tracking you if you use magic. Everything you need is enclosed, including directions and what to do at which steps of your journey._

_Minerva_

_PS: Xanatos told me that Talinna is legal to drive, but it is not advisable._

Severus chuckled... no teenager was advisable to be allowed in control of anything that moved other than their own two feet, and some couldn't even seem to control that.

* * *

Very AU now that the series is complete... should I finish?


End file.
